Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings
by etoilefilante07
Summary: So what was in that fanfic that Grimmjow read that would disturb him so in Dastardly Deeds? Read here and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings  
Written by étoilefilante07  
Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi  
Rating: Mature  
Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.  
A/N: There might be some slip ups with terms used commonly in Bleach and so please forgive me on that aspect, as I am working without a beta. T-T Gomen. Also this is definitely AU and takes place not too far after Inoue Orihime is led to Hueco Mundo and brings back Grimmjow's arm, which he uses to totally pwn Luppi or whatever his name is. Anyhoo, if homosexuality isn't your cup of tea, then please hit the back button and don't read this. Flames will not be appreciated. All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensai! Here we go! Please don't forget to review! ;

Chapter 1

Kurosaki Ichigo felt his arms weakening and numbing against the relentless attacks by the sexta espada. The teal-haired arrancar had caught him by surprise---he had been on his way back home after another hollow attack in the middle of the night when he heard that frustratingly familiar voice call out his name in a challenge. He barely had time to change from shikai to bankai---the lone espada's sonido was too quick for even a second's worth of a pause.

The furious flurry of attacks from the sexta espada were going to break his defense. What the substitute shinigami needed was just a little time---just enough to call his mask, to catch his breath.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

"Shit," Ichigo muttered as his attack finally shoved the insane arrancar off of him. He panted heavily---he had been hard pressed to parry all of the feral espada's attacks. All he needed were a couple of seconds to call his mask and they'd be on equal footing---

Ichigo barely raised his blade in time to block a strike that would have easily cut any ordinary shinigami in half.

"Too fucking slow, shinigami!" howled Grimmjow with a maniacal grin. A strong hand grabbed the youth by the front of his black robes. A powerful punch to the gut left the orange-haired death god winded, allowing Grimmjow to land another kick on Ichigo. Ichigo's limp body hurtled to the earth below, crashing through the roof of an abandoned warehouse, just out of city limits.

The youth grunted at all the new aches as he swayed, struggling to rise from the debris on the ground floor of the abandoned warehouse. A gaping hole marred the ceiling of the bottom floor, and the two floors above it. Something wet, warm, and sticky began to slowly run from his scalp---a familiar sensation.

Blood.

He placed his hand in front of his face to call his mask, only to find that he hadn't the strength to summon and harness its power. And he couldn't count on the Vaizard or Urahara-san to save his ass again. No one would reach him in time.

Kurosaki Ichigo realized he was fucked.

He hadn't had time to come up with a new plan of attack before the sexta espada arrived, gloating and mocking the youth. The teal-haired arrancar swung down his jagged blade, only to meet Ichigo's black blade, the crazed grin plastered on his face. The clash of reiatsu sparked between the two fighters. The orange-haired shinigami knew that it would only be so long until his strength would give out and the cobalt-eyed psycho would cut him down with ease.

If he let Grimmjow cut him down now, he wouldn't be able to help his friends. He wouldn't be able to protect his little sisters, Karin and Yuzu. He wouldn't be able to repay Rukia for everything she had done for him. He wouldn't be able to defeat Aizen or any of the other espada… If he let Grimmjow cut him down now---

_NO! I WON'T LET HIM!!!_

"Those are good eyes, shinigami," murmured Grimmjow softly with a predator's gleam in those cobalt eyes. "Fierce and full of resolve," he whispered, grabbing the substitute shinigami by the collar with his left hand. Ichigo's chocolate eyes widened at the physical contact but swiftly countered with another swipe at the arrancar---only to have it skillfully parried away. The black blade flew from the substitute shinigami's hand and landed with metallic clunks several meters away.

If he had thought that he had been fucked before, then he was definitely going to be screwed six ways to Sunday here unless he did something about it.

"Shit," he cursed as his mind frantically ran through ideas to preserve his life. Disinterested, Grimmjow scoffed at the youth's situation as he raised his blade for the final blow. Ichigo's eyes brightened at a sudden memory and for a second, time stood still.

Swift hands strengthened by determination struck the momentarily stunned arrancar. The substitute shinigami's left hand had forcefully struck the inside of wrist of Grimmjow's sword hand just as it swung down, momentarily paralyzing it and rendering it useless, while the other landed an upper cut to the teal-haired espada's jaw, knocking Grimmjow back.

Another blade joined Tensa Zangetsu, abandoned on the floor of the abandoned warehouse.

Grimmjow nursed his jaw several meters away from a panting Kurosaki Ichigo, who stared icily at him through fiery eyes. Chocolate eyes that were darkened with a burning fury to survive, to win…

And to fight.

_Those eyes, they piss the hell out of me…_

The sexta espada never would have thought that tonight, of all nights, he'd ever feel anything else but hatred towards the young shinigami substitute.

…_because it's like looking in a goddamn mirror…_

However, now with liquid adrenaline trickling throughout his system at the possibility of a heated hand-to-hand battle with the ferocious orange-haired youth---something told him otherwise. He was all about satisfying his desires. And Grimmjow didn't care about who gave a fuck about it.

He _lived_ for this kind of shit.

And now the cobalt-eyed espada felt a wicked urge to seriously mess with the teenager's head. This was going to be _fun._

"What's wrong, shinigami? Cat got your tongue?"

The scowl darkened at the taunt. Grimmjow's lips curved into malicious grin.

"Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve, now that you don't have your zanpakutou?"

Ichigo's lips tightened into a tense frown as he readied his body into an unarmed fighting stance---something he hadn't done since he had become a shinigami. Grimmjow was just as fast as he was, possibly faster, and definitely physically stronger than he was. This was going to be a tough fight.

Tense lips finally twisted into a smile.

"Let's go, Grimmjow."


	2. Chapter 2

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings  
Written by étoilefilante07  
Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi  
Rating: Mature  
Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.  
A/N: There might be some slip ups with terms used commonly in Bleach and so please forgive me on that aspect, as I am working without a beta. Also this is definitely AU and takes place not too far after Inoue Orihime is led to Hueco Mundo and restores Grimmjow's arm. Anyhoo, if homosexuality isn't your cup of tea, then please hit the back button and don't read this. Flames will not be appreciated. Also, I'm a bit nervous about this chapter, considering all the good reviews it had received… I just hope that this isn't the chapter that killed this fanfic. is hopeful All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensai! And please don't forget to review! D

Chapter 2

"Let's go, Grimmjow."

A feral, maniacal grin lit Grimmjow's face a second before the teal-haired arrancar sped towards the orange-haired teenager. Ichigo's lips curved into a wry smile before immediately getting into a defensive stance.

The espada shot out a quick left hook towards Ichigo's ribs. An open, rigid hand blocked the strike and the Vaizard-in-training replied with a swift kick to the inside of Grimmjow's right knee, forcing the arrancar to kneel. The shinigami's right hand grabbed Grimmjow's collar as his left grabbed the material of the white jacket and promptly flipped the headstrong espada over his shoulder into some crates nearby.

Unceremoniously Grimmjow's body landed on the wooden boxes, sending clouds of dust and pieces of shattered wood into the air. Ichigo waited in silence, his body still tense--something like this wouldn't keep the fierce arrancar down for long.

"That's a neat little trick, shinigami," Grimmjow whispered into Ichigo's ear from behind. Chocolate eyes widened in surprise--he hadn't even seen the sexta espada leave from where he had landed seconds before.

Just before he could land a back kick to the teal-haired espada's gut, Grimmjow landed a heavy uppercut to Ichigo's jaw, knocking the youth back several yards. Grimmjow spat, sneering.

"Tch… It's hard to believe that Aizen once worried about your potential, kid." Leisurely the teal-haired espada walked up to the now bleeding youth. "Even without my blade, you couldn't ever defeat me…" Grimmjow blocked a spear hand towards his throat with his left forearm and landed a solid kick to Ichigo's ribs who grunted at the blow. "…especially not at hand-to-hand combat."

The substitute shinigami felt the wind knocked out of him, gasping at the solid force behind the kick. Ungraciously he fell to the floor, his mouth dribbling with a mixture of blood and spit from the cut inside his mouth. Fear, anger, hate, and pride rushed through his veins as he vainly attempted to rise again with fierce dark eyes. Derisively, Ichigo spat out a mix of saliva and crimson blood.

"Shut the hell up."

A cruel light glittered in Grimmjow's mad, cobalt eyes.

For a second, the image of the sexta espada wavered in the vision of Kurosaki Ichigo. He blinked for a fatal second and swore as he realized that the espada had just used sonido. A split second later, Grimmjow appeared in front of Ichigo and backhanded the teenager, knocking him down onto his back. Immediately the teal-haired arrancar pinned the youth's limbs down and effectively immobilized him.

"Have you ever wondered," began Grimmjow softly as Ichigo ineffectively attempted to wriggle out from underneath the espada, "why you always seek me out the most out of all of the arrancar?" The youth had stopped struggling but his body tensed; something in the bottom of his gut tingled with an ominous feeling at the tone of Grimmjow's voice--low, sensual, and full of a veiled menace.

"W-Wha--We're enemies, what do you expect?!" hissed Ichigo, snarling at the currently dominating arrancar. "And we do what enemies do, fight!"

"Are you really that dense, shinigami?" he whispered tauntingly as the orange-haired teenager glared defiantly at the arrancar. Part of him was afraid to delve that deeply--what was Grimmjow playing at? And why was his body now so aware of Grimmjow's?

"What the fuck are you talking about, Grimmjow," Ichigo hissed wrathfully, his voice guarded and wary. "What the hell are you playing at?"

Grimmjow chuckled, the mad glint still gleaming with a frightful glee. Ichigo shivered involuntarily and his heart raced madly as the sexta espada brought his face closer to his. The cobalt eyes gleaming with that incomprehensible lust for the scarlet liquid shot chills up and down his spine; it was one thing to see them up close with a blade in your hand, and it was another to be caught helpless like this and forced to look into those wells of madness.

"Why you always go out of your way to fight me?"

Kurosaki Ichigo found that he didn't have an answer for that one.

"When you and your pathetic friends are fighting the espada," Grimmjow began anew, his lips a hair's breadth away from Ichigo's sensitive ear, "why is it me that you always claim as your opponent, eh, Kurosaki Ichigo?" The youth involuntarily shuddered at the intonation of his name as he felt the espada's lips brush across the shell of his ear and trail down to the soft skin of his neck further south. He just hoped against hope that his body would not completely betray him to the smirking arrancar.

"B-b-because you're always the first espada that I find," stuttered the now blushing shinigami substitute, grasping for any excuse and definitely a bit more than merely uncomfortable from the unexpected body heat and weight on top of his own. He jerked his head left to abandon the gaze of those mocking cobalt eyes. "I--it's--it's just luck of the draw. You just always seem to pop up wherever I'm around when you and your sick friends fight us."

Another mocking chuckle escaped from the pale-skinned arrancar's lips at Ichigo's weak reply and reasoning. The youth's body screamed out what he would vehemently deny.

"Do you really believe that?"

Defiantly, Ichigo jerked his head back to stare down the sexta espada.

"What the fuck are you saying?"

The smile grew into a sinister and lascivious grin.

"You want me, shinigami."


	3. Chapter 3

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings  
Written by étoilefilante07  
Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi  
Rating: Mature  
Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.  
A/N: All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! Obviously, this is an AU fanfic. Many thanks go out to those of you who have kindly placed Death of Innocence in your favorites and story alerts! D And please don't forget to review!

Chapter 3

"You want me, shinigami."

Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, slack-jawed and stunned. "Y-Y-You're out of your fucking mind," Ichigo instantly replied after recovering from the initial shock, refusing to listen to the espada's words. "I-I-Why the hell would I want you? A-And I don't like guys that way!" Ichigo denied vehemently as he struggled even more violently against the teal-haired espada's unshakable hold. "And get the fuck off me!"

"Shh, Shinigami. Are you always so loud?" teased Grimmjow in a breathy whisper, enjoying the reluctant blush that flushed across Ichigo's face at the sensation of his lips so close to his sensitive ears.

"And by the way your wanton need is pressing into my hip, I'd have to say that you're lying, Ichi-chan."

The orange-haired youth gulped and swore silently; he had hoped and prayed desperately that he wouldn't become aroused by this perverse espada, by the feeling of this heat through their clothing. Ichigo wished miserably that he could just disappear, that this was just a bad dream, but the heat and dangerously delicious weight on his own body was a constant reminder that he couldn't just run away from this twisted reality.

Grimmjow couldn't believe how easily the boy had swallowed his words. This would only serve to make things even better, though a strange feeling of uneasiness at the elaborate set-up seemed to tug at his gut. The sexta espada wasn't really one for lies or elaborate plots; he liked things simple and to the point.

"Let me go, Grimmjow," the shaking youth hissed, furious at the espada who had him pinned down like a helpless doll, furious at his own, treacherous body, furious at his own lack of strength to fight back. Ichigo's chocolate eyes burned with shame; the representative shinigami bit his lip, fighting back the bile that rose in his throat.

And to suppress the dark, cold fear that lurked at the back of his mind.

Still shaking, Ichigo fought desperately to avoid those mad, vicious, cobalt eyes that pierced right through him. _Why am I so fucking afraid?!_, Ichigo screamed at himself silently. _Why is my heart so shriveled with fear?!_

"What are you thinking, Ichi-chan," Grimmjow asked tauntingly before his cobalt eyes furrowed into a dark scowl, unbeknownst to Ichigo. The boy reeked of a dark fear and it was starting to make him sick to his stomach, choking the sexta espada.

Cruel lips curved into a dark, wry smile.

The youth shivered involuntarily as Grimmjow's teeth barely grazed the hypersensitive lobe of Ichigo's ear. "Are you afraid that I'm going to rape you? That I'm going to deflower you here and just use your body to sate my own desires?"

The slender shinigami representative gulped at the words subconsciously. His body tensed as Grimmjow forced both of his arms above his head, pinning down his wrists with one hand while using the other to grab the youth by the face, forcing Ichigo to look Grimmjow in the eye. Ichigo was surprised to find a disgusted scowl on the face of the sexta espada instead of another maliciously vile grin.

"So you think that low of me?"

Dark chocolate eyes widened as Grimmjow let go of the lying shinigami and stood up, dusting himself and his white uniform. Spitefully, the teal-haired espada spat to the side, his cobalt eyes fierce with indignity.

"I'm not some sick fuck who'd rape a child, shinigami. Even _I_ have some standards," drawled the tall arrancar with thinly veiled anger. He hadn't expected his plans to go so awry. "I guess Ulquiorra was right---you're not even worth worrying about." Grimmjow turned around as Ichigo scrambled to his feet from his prone position.

"You fucking reek of fear and weakness. There's no way in hell that some little shit like you could ever train enough to beat me, Kurosaki." The mouth of the garganta opened and the teal-haired espada retrieved his blade and made his way to the black cavity back to Hueco Mundo.

"WAIT!" Ichigo shouted just as the sexta espada stepped into the black hole. "Come back and fight me, Grimmjow! I'm not some fucking child!" With his back still towards the young shinigami, Grimmjow rolled his eyes and barely turned his head to one side.

"Tch… You're still a child, dumb ass. And I could have killed you just mere moments ago. What in hell makes you think you can seriously fight me?"

Ichigo stuttered, realizing that the teal-haired arrancar was right. Grimmjow had to chance to easily wipe his existence from the face of the earth… _But he hadn't taken it_, Ichigo realized suddenly.

_Why?_

"WAIT, GRIMMJOW!" Ichigo shouted as the espada began to step into the garganta. "AT LEAST TELL ME WHY!" He sank to his knees, confused and sapped of all strength as Grimmjow faltered in mid-step at the sudden outburst.

"A-At least tell me… why you didn't kill me when you had the chance," Ichigo murmured softly. The teal-haired arrancar stood silent for a second, as if in thought as the orange-haired, bloodied youth stared with puzzled, chocolate eyes.

"See you later, shinigami," Grimmjow drawled, his voice slightly strained as he completely entered the garganta and disappeared from the vision of the shinigami representative. A bitter laugh escaped Ichigo's lips as he sat alone in the abandoned warehouse.

"Bastard."


	4. Chapter 4

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings

Written by étoilefilante07

Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.

A/N: All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! Obviously, this is an AU fanfic. Many thanks go out to those of you who have kindly placed Death of Innocence in your favorites and story alerts! And please don't forget to review!

Chapter 4

"…_So you think that low of me?..."_

Ichigo turned onto his left side gingerly, careful not to cause anymore discomfort to his bruised ribs while trying vainly to block out the espada's voice. 

He had apologized to Hirako earlier for having abandoned his training---he didn't expect the blond Vaizard to lessen the intensity of his training because of his injuries. At least one of his nagging worries were out of the way.

"…_I'm not some sick fuck who'd rape a child, shinigami. Even I have some standards…" _

The orange-haired teenager turned over onto his other side, closing his dark eyes in the attempt to fully block out everything that tormented him tonight.

Ichigo forced himself to wonder about how his family was doing without him. About how he could tell his family not to worry because he was always gone. Or how sweet Yuzu and his idiotic father would react if they found out that he was, in fact, a shinigami.

"…_I guess Ulquiorra was right---you're not even worth worrying about…"_

Seething, the injured shinigami laid on his back, his eyes still closed and determined to block out the biting voice within.

_I wonder how everyone at school is doing… Or if Inoue's really okay…_

"…_You fucking reek of fear and weakness. There's no way in hell that some little shit like you could ever train enough to beat me, Kurosaki…" _

Finally, Ichigo sat up and buried his fingers into his strawberry blond locks.

_Why can't I just block out that fucking annoying voice of his! That bastard,_ Ichigo fumed silently, _but everything he said was true. I was so fucking weak---b-b-but he's wrong! If I train enough, I can beat him! He's not fucking invincible!_

Knuckles whitened with tension as Ichigo finally opened his eyes and dropped his hands from his head to the sheets. Something else was sundering the foundation of his sanity---something else that the sexta espada had whispered to him when he had been captive.

Goosebumps rose all over his flesh, remembering the heavy heat on top of his prone form. The way surprisingly soft flesh brushed against the sensitive spot on his neck beneath his ear. His heart remembered how it raced at the medley of sensations mixed with the fear and anger and something else that Ichigo feared to name.

"…_You want me, shinigami…"_

Defiantly, Ichigo shook his head

_He's wrong---why the hell would I like a sick fuck like him! I-I don't even like guys that way! I'm a perfectly normal high school-going guy who likes cute girls!_

The fact that he couldn't come up with any names only served to infuriate the miserably confused teenager as he laid back down. There really wasn't any girl that he liked more than just a friend at school---but he didn't like any of the guys either… Ichigo groaned and rested the palm of his bandaged hand on his forehead.

_And why didn't he just kill me when he had the chance---Grimmjow doesn't seem like the type to let go of his prey alive unless he was ordered to by someone more powerful than him… So why didn't he just kill me on the spot? Why?_

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as Ichigo despondently tried to push all that happened in the furthest corner of his mind and fall asleep.

He would just train harder with Hirako later. 


	5. Chapter 5

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings  
Written by étoilefilante07  
Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi  
Rating: Mature  
Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.  
A/N: All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! Obviously, this is an AU fanfic. Many thanks go out to those of you who have kindly placed Death of Innocence in your favorites and story alerts! And please don't forget to review!

Chapter 5

Nearly a week had passed since that fateful night. By day, when he trained with the Vaizards to improve his powers, it was easy to forget the feeling of lips brushing against the sensitive parts of his neck. It was easy to block out the enticing memory of such heat pressing against his body.

It was easy to forget anything and everything the sexta espada had whispered to him that night.

But when he was alone to his thoughts in the dark of night, they all slithered back into his mind. Taunting. Teasing. Luring. Tantalizing him with a lure that would prove most dangerous to chase and seemingly impossible to obtain.

And the looming worry about the seemingly forced capture of the innocent Inoue Orihime clouding his mind didn't help either.

For a second, Kurosaki Ichigo wished that Kon had not fallen asleep before he had gotten home. Even the noisome rants of the mod-soul would give him some respite from the dreadful thoughts that constantly plagued him. He waited, almost eagerly for the plush inhabiting Kon to jump around and berate him for his suffocating moodiness, but it was all in vain.

Finally aggravated, the orange-haired teen rolled out of bed, hastily changed into his street clothes, and snuck silently out of the house. It was now obvious that sleep would be difficult to maintain. The youth had realized, the night after the fight with the psychotic arrancar that wandering around the city at night helped with forgetting that he was a shinigami, that he was a Vaizard, that Inoue had been kidnapped (or did she really go of her own free will?), that he had to find a way to rescue Inoue, or that part of him feared that Grimmjow's words were closer to the truth than he would have liked.

Nimble fingers inserted neon green earphones into his ears; the youth turned on his mp3 player, and raised the hood of his jacket to cover his head. Music helped him to block out that enthralling voice that lured him closer and closer to insanity. Ichigo stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dark, hooded jacket, and let his feet wander within the sleeping town of Karakura.

* * *

"…_why you didn't kill me when you had the chance?" _

A sudden flash of violent scarlet light pierced through the perpetual dark of Hueco Mundo, ultimately turning white sand into glittering, rough slabs of glass. The apathetic moon observed quietly as the lone sexta espada shot out angry bursts of cero away from Las Noches and into the eternal dunes of white. But the question would not burn away like the sand--it would not yield clarity.

_Why the fuck did I let that runt live? I don't even like the stupid punk! _

Another burst of scarlet erupted from the palm of his hand, ruthlessly scorching everything in its path. A furious cry cut through the silence in the realm of the hollows, stained deep with the sexta's confusion as he fell to his knees, exhausted.

_All those other times, when I was about to kill him, or that one time he almost bested me when I had lost my place as sexta espada, we were always interrupted… But the one time that I had the chance to kill the sorry motherfucker--why the hell did I hesitate?!_

Harsh breaths rushed in and out. Cobalt eyes widened in realization, darkened by madness.

_If I kill him this time, then it'll be like that encounter never happened in the first place,_ Grimmjow reasoned with himself desperately. _If I kill the little fucker, then it means none of this weird shit will last and that creepy bastard, Szayel will finally get off my back about the damned shinigami…_

Immediately a gaping mouth of black opened before the teal-haired espada. Resolute, Grimmjow rose to his feet, and smartly dusted off his uniform. Quickly he stepped into the garganta, almost confident that no one would miss him.

And completely unaware that a pair of caramel eyes had been observing him all this time.

An elegant finger pushed the white-rimmed glasses back on the bridge of his nose in the solitude of his observatory within the heart of his laboratory and personal palace. Lips contorted into a pained smile as the screen displayed the sexta espada traveling in between the world of the dead and the living. Szayel Aporro was glad that he had the foresight to have Ilfort infect the unknowing Grimmjow with his parasites.

_Who would have thought that the brutal arrancar would have had such an attraction for such a child?_

"And they call me the monster," the pink-haired espada remarked dryly with a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings

Written by étoilefilante07

Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.

A/N: All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! And the song utilized here is the creative property of UVERworld (which is a friggin' amazing Japanese rock band). Obviously, this is an AU fanfic. Many thanks go out to those of you who have kindly placed Death of Innocence in your favorites and story alerts! And please don't forget to review!

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

With his naturally orange spiky hair poking out from underneath the hood of his jacket, his lean physique, and his brooding posture, any passing pedestrian would have taken him for some punk or a member of a yakuza. None troubled the youth as he silently wandered out to the outskirts of town, unaware of where his feet now led him.

"You've been hurt by unspeakable pain and sadness. Shoulder the burden of the past that cannot be erased; don't throw away your will to live," spilled out from his neon green earphones as Ichigo pulled them out of his ears. Chocolate eyes widened as he realized where he was.

"…I held your hand…"

A hard lump rose in the middle of his throat--it didn't matter how many times people had told him it hadn't been his fault or that he and his mother had been caught in a terrible accident. He knew that it had been his fault why his mother died in the first place. He knew that if he had not seen the lure of the Grand Fisher, he wouldn't have stolen the life of his beloved mother.

If he only hadn't let go of his mother's hand that day…

_If I didn't have all this spiritual power, I would have never seen that girl. If I hadn't all this power, all my friends and family would be safe and wouldn't have to deal with the goddamned Soul Society and its goddamned rules…_

"Will I end up losing them someday? I want to protect you and your fading smile, so, even if the resounding voice calling me should wither, even if the mingling winds should tell me, I will find you!"

"Ya know, you're not so hard to find, shinigami," drawled a terrifyingly familiar voice above the music from the earphones. The small hairs on the back of his neck rose as the youth immediately turned around, furiously wondering why he hadn't noticed _his_ reiatsu until now.

"…_Have you ever wondered," began Grimmjow softly as Ichigo ineffectively attempted to wriggle out from underneath the espada, "why you always seek me out the most out of all of the arrancar?" The youth had stopped struggling but his body tensed; something in the bottom of his gut tingled with an ominous feeling at the tone of Grimmjow's voice--low, sensual, and full of a veiled menace…_

"_When you and your pathetic friends are fighting the espada," Grimmjow began anew, his lips a hair's breadth away from Ichigo's sensitive ear, "why is it me that you always claim as your opponent, eh, Kurosaki Ichigo?..."_

_Why is this memory annoying me now of all times?_ Ichigo demanded of himself as he fought an involuntary shiver. _I've got to focus--I can't let him win just because of a fucking memory_…

Grimmjow leisurely walked towards Ichigo, his hands in his pockets and with a malicious sneering smile plastered on his face. "Especially when this place simply reeks of your reiatsu, dumb ass."

Quick hands reached for the skull marked badge but they never met their destination. Ichigo fell back into the grass at the impact of Grimmjow's speedy tackle. Winded, the youth doggedly attempted to shake himself out of the daze until he realized that Grimmjow pinned him down in the grass while he was still in his body. The strangely familiar weight and heat of the sexta espada's body sent tingles throughout his body as the teen struggled to push those thoughts in the back of his mind.

"Shit," Ichigo hissed as his face began to slowly fill with color. He realized the extent of his predicament. Outside of his body, the shinigami could withstand vicious injuries; however, he grimly doubted it would be the same with his real body.

"What the hell do you want, Grimmjow," the youth seethed as he hoped his body would not pull a repeat performance from the last time they had fought. He knew his heart was rushing faster than it should have and desperately schooled his face in what the strawberry blond hoped was a look of complete hatred and disgust.

"…_B-b-because you're always the first espada that I find," stuttered the now blushing shinigami substitute, grasping for any excuse and definitely a bit more than merely uncomfortable from the unexpected body heat and weight on top of his own. He jerked his head left to abandon the gaze of those mocking cobalt eyes. "I--it's--it's just luck of the draw. You just always seem to pop up wherever I'm around when you and your sick friends fight us…"_

"It's time that I ended our late-night rendezvous, shinigami," whispered Grimmjow with strange cobalt eyes. Confused chocolate orbs pierced through him, seeing not him but lost in thought.

_How could I ever know where Grimmjow is until he shows up in the living world? I can't sense reiatsu worth shit; he's always been the one to find me fir-- _

Chocolate eyes widened at the realization.

_Grimmjow's the one who always finds me!_

Virgin lips curved into a wry smile.

_I guess I really am dense…_

"You know what's funny, Grimmjow?" Ichigo whispered softly as he defiantly stared down the teal-haired arrancar. The sexta espada studied Ichigo with narrowed eyes, unsure of what to expect this time.

"_You're_ the one who always finds _me_."


	7. Chapter 7

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings

Written by étoilefilante07

Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.

A/N: All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! I am most definitely grateful to everyone who reviewed and/or placed this humble fanfic of mine in their favorites list or their alerts! To show my gratitude, I decided to update a couple of days earlier than usual. I hope you guys like it! And please don't forget to review!

Chapter 7

"_You're_ the one who always finds _me_."

The dark cobalt eyes above him were unfathomable and it gave Kurosaki Ichigo the chills to see those mad orbs up close and weaponless again. Instinctively he gulped but in spite of the primal fear, disgust and adrenaline surged triumphant throughout the youth's body. Emboldened, the orange-haired youth mustered onwards.

"You're always going on about how I'm obsessed with you, but I think it's the other way around," Ichigo started as the momentum of his words added more fire and spite into his voice. The strawberry blonde resisted the urge to let his eyes wander from Grimmjow's eyes as his heart 

continued to race with the raging hormones. Ichigo's scowl slowly morphed into a self-confident smirk.

"I think you're the one who's fucking infatuated."

Ichigo's dark chocolate eyes glared into Grimmjow's as the words sank in. The arrancar broke into grim grin and slowly brought his face closer to the youth's. In spite of his bravado seconds before, the orange-haired teenager could not suppress the slight shiver as he saw the apathetic glint in those deep wells of cobalt.

"Then all the more reason to kill you, shinigami."

A surge of unexpected disappointment fell heavy on the teen's chest. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise, but quickly narrowed. He schooled his face into his typical battle scowl as he desperately willed his heart to slow down.

_Of course he'd say that… What was I seriously hoping for? A fucking confession?! But dammit, I don't have time to be thinking about that--how the hell am I going to get out of my body?_

"'Cause you see, even if you're not worth killing, I can't have you fucking things up for me later. I can't afford to have some dumb fucking feelings for a little whelp like you," Grimmjow hissed aggressively. Chocolate eyes widened at the unconventional confession. "And even if I wanted you, I'd kill you anyways because you're weak--"

_No! I got to stay focused! Just a touch…_

"…So fucking weak…"

The teal-haired espada bitterly sneered as he bunched together Ichigo's wrists in one hand and brought his free hand in front of the youth's face. He didn't want his last memory of the shinigami with his head rolling into the river--better to burn fair-faced shinigami to cinders. It would be easier to forget ashes than it would be to forget those pained eyes staring back from a lifeless head.

"But don't worry, Ichi-chan," he whispered, his voice tinged with an unfamiliar warmth as Ichigo's face darkened at the sight of a slowly forming cero in Grimmjow's open palm. The espada's lips spread in a bitter smile. "At this range, you won't feel a fucking thing…"

_Then I can fight him on level ground… _

Ichigo cautiously tested Grimmjow's weight by pretending to struggle in the arrancar's hold, preparing to surprise the feline arrancar enough to just free one hand and himself from his body. The sexta espada wasn't stupid; he wouldn't have the chance to pull it off again.

_Just one touch… _

"A king doesn't mate with the weak, Kurosaki," Grimmjow spat out as the scarlet ball of light grew within his palm. Ichigo's eyes widened, recognizing the pet name. Sneering lips curved upwards in what seemed to be painful smile.

"Nice knowin' ya, shinigami."

Ichigo forcefully jerked his wrists away from Grimmjow's grasp quickly, surprising the sexta espada. Swift hands grabbed the badge and pressed it against the youth's chest, expelling the shinigami within. Ichigo shoved the teal-haired arrancar off of him and away from his limp body.

Grimmjow tumbled down the slope of the bank and into the quiet waters of the river. Angrily he rose to his feet, furious that he had let the shinigami surprise him. The sexta espada shook his head free of the river water. Ahead, clouds of smoke and dust parted and dissipated, revealing a grim-faced Ichigo brandishing a slender, black blade. Cobalt eyes narrowed at the sight of the hardy youth.

"You're right, Grimmjow," the orange-haired youth began in the strange voice as he brought his hand to his face. An aura of black and crimson light surrounded his hand and his face as the mask began to form on Ichigo's face. Grimmjow's lips parted into a full-blown snarl as he sensed Ichigo's spiritual power surge exponentially.

"A king doesn't mate with the weak."


	8. Chapter 8

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings

Written by étoilefilante07

Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.

A/N: All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! Again, I am ever so grateful for the plethora of reviews that Death of Innocence received for the last chapter! Thank you so much! Which makes me feel rather guilty about this chapter... I apologize ahead for the letdown. But please don't forget to review!

* * *

Chapter 8

"You're right, Grimmjow," Ichigo spoke in the strange voice as the moonlight glinted off of the bone white mask forming on the shinigami's face behind his raised hand. Like ink in water, black swirled and claimed the whites of the teen's eyes as the irises became golden. Pale blue light emanated from the youth.

Black light erupted and engulfed Ichigo's form before slowly fading away in the clear night. Grimmjow snarled at the spiking of the Vaizard's reiatsu, remembering their last fight when the orange-haired teen had been masked.

When the masked shinigami had almost truly defeated him in his unreleased state.

"A king doesn't mate with the weak."

The sexta espada cobalt eyes narrowed at the words he had only uttered seconds ago. For the first time in a long time, the teal-haired arrancar wished that he had instantly killed the troublesome shinigami when he had found him by the river. Ichigo had been completely unaware of the powerful espada.

All he had wanted to do was to kill Kurosaki Ichigo and to erase the teen from his memories and thoughts, but thanks to his pride--it was going to be more drawn out than to his liking.

Grimmjow unsheathed his jagged-edged blade. The surge of power from the teen served as evidence of his training with the Vaizards. He certainly couldn't say that the orange-haired shinigami was weak now. Even if he did release his zanpakutou.

At the instant the mask was complete, the Vaizard-in-training disappeared and reappeared a few feet in front of the espada. Instinctively, the arrancar raised his blade as Ichigo's crashed down upon him. Sparks flashed in the dark of night at the clash of metal against metal, reiatsu against reiatsu. Grimmjow gritted his teeth as the force of the blow forced him back several steps, leaving imprints on the ground from the impact.

"You know, you never told me what the hell you did to yourself," hissed Grimmjow as he leapt back several meters. Cobalt eyes narrowed as the masked youth disappeared. The sudden faint breeze rustled past him, causing Grimmjow to raise his hackles out of reflex. His hands automatically swung his sword in a backward-arch, protecting his back from the slash that would have severed his spine.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," Ichigo replied with a quiet arrogance before disappearing from Grimmjow's vision. The same breeze rushed in front of him; with the same break-neck speed and strength, the sexta espada brought his blade crashing down to block another slash from the empowered Vaizard. Grimmjow snarled at Ichigo's silence throughout their macabre dance.

"You little shit," snarled Grimmjow as he shoved the masked shinigami back and leaped up into the night sky. Fighting Ichigo on the ground felt too encumbering--it felt almost as if the earth opened up her lips to take him in with every blow the young shinigami dealt him. In the air, there was freedom from the grasp of gravity.

And in the shinigami's death there was freedom from the invisible chains that bound him to Kurosaki Ichigo.

Dust clouds formed on the ground beneath him, with the said shinigami piercing through the heart of it to him. Angry golden eyes stared back, full of a barely masked anguish mixed with unshakable resolve. Grimmjow's eyes barely caught the youth bringing the black blade in front of himself, preparing to attack.

_I have to end this quickly…_

"Getsuga tenshou."

A gigantic black band erupted from the zanpakutou, hurling itself towards the teal-haired arrancar and continuing to expand across the night sky. Grimmjow braced himself for the attack; there was no way in hell he could dodge such a quick attack.

"Good-bye, Grimmjow."

Cobalt eyes widened at the sudden whisper behind him, realizing that the masked shinigami was about to pull off the same move that had beaten him when the lithe Vaizard had revealed his mask for the first time. And that he was too late to evade it.

The frown curved up into a pained smile.

The black sickles swallowed Grimmjow greedily and forcefully knocked Ichigo back down to the ground. The orange-haired teen landed in a cloud of dirt and flying bits of grass, creating another crater on the grassy bank. Ichigo rose to his feet shakily and studied the heavens.

No signs of Grimmjow.

_There's no way he could have survived that,_ Ichigo thought to himself with a bittersweet sense of victory. He had put in all of his strength behind that last attack. _It's probably for the best this way… _

White and scarlet began to crumble away as the black of the getsuga tenshou faded into the dark. Zangetsu clattered on the ground, forgotten. The teen sank to his knees as his clothes converted back to his regular shinigami garb. Heavy pants escaped his lips as he fell forward on his hands, his head hung low from his shoulders.

_But why didn't he kill me from the start?_

Chocolate eyes burned as they saw beyond the dirt and grass of the embankment. They saw the pained smile of a teal-haired man. He remembered the melancholic warmth--that definite tenderness in the usually spiteful voice.

_Why the hell would he say things like that?_

Ichigo slammed his fist against the ground as the unmistakable lump rose to his throat. Desperately he bit down hard on his lip, willing the despairing feelings to fade away. He had seen the hesitation at the creation of the cero in those wells of cobalt as they faded into apathy.

_Of all places, why did he have to choose this fucking place to fight?!_

"Grimmjow, you bastard," Ichigo whispered bitterly as he crawled back into his body, Zangetsu in hand. The music still played from the mp3 player, barely audible above the soft gurgles of the sleeping river. Chocolate eyes stung with tears as the youth defiantly attempted to blink them away as he reentered his flaccid body.

_But most importantly of all, why do I feel this unbearable heaviness, choking from the heart?_


	9. Chapter 9

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings

Written by étoilefilante07

Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on.

A/N: I am back from the dead. That and all of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! I am most definitely grateful to everyone who reviewed and/or placed this humble fanfic of mine in their favorites list or their alerts! I am also very sorry that I haven't updated in a while! I hope you guys like it! And please don't forget to review!

Chapter 9

He blinked away the blood from his scalp, intent on studying the unyielding cold light of the stars. His scarred and bloody chest heaved with every breath. The arrancar had thought the shinigami did put in everything into that last attack, but something in the back of his mind vehemently disagreed. If he had been right about the level of Ichigo's reiatsu and if the masked teen had put everything behind that last attack, he should have been dead--even with the pathetic shielding of his immature cero.

But he had finally come to terms with himself, though it took the words of the said shinigami.

"…_You're always going on about how I'm obsessed with you, but I think it's the other way around," Ichigo started as the momentum of his words added more fire and spite into his voice. The strawberry blonde resisted the urge to let his eyes wander from Grimmjow's eyes as his heart continued to race with the raging hormones. Ichigo's scowl slowly morphed into a self-confident smirk. _

"_I think you're the one who's fucking infatuated…"_

Lips curved into a wry smile.

"I guess we're both fucking dense, Ichi-chan."

Then he heard the familiar rip of time and space as the mouth of a garganta opened nearby. Feet crushed the blades of grass and made their way towards the prone teal-haired arrancar. Moonlight glinted off of the glasses as they were pushed back into place by a gloved slender finger.

"You've made a real mess of yourself this time, oh mighty Sexta."

He recognized that sarcastic voice. Grimmjow ignored the voice, willing it to go away. The wounded espada closed his cobalt eyes and lay still on the now-scarlet rocks upon which his blood flowed freely upon.

"It's a good thing that I, _a mere weakling_, kept an eye on you," the white-clad figure continued, his voice dripping with sardonic glee.

_Maybe I'm hallucinating and imagining his voice…_

"You know, using your cero like that won't save you every time," as the arrancar sat on the metal of the rail-road tracks nearby the injured Grimmjow.

"Shut the fuck up, Octova."

The pink-haired espada feigned a hurt pout as he crossed his arms.

"After I came all this way from Hueco Mundo help you back home, this is how you show your appreciation, Grimmjow? I'm hurt."

"What the hell are you doing here, Szayel?" growled Grimmjow suspiciously. He hissed and grimaced while attempting to sit up with all the open wounds and new aches. "I doubt you're running an errand for Aizen."

Szayel flipped his pink hair away from his face and raised his gaze to the night sky. His lips spread into a malicious grin.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Narrowed cobalt eyes glared at the octova espada with the Cheshire cat grin. Distrust in the other arrancar's motives screamed inside Grimmjow's head. Szayel Aporro, the brother of his late fracción, Ilforte Grantz, rarely did anything that was without merit. He doubted that the slender espada had come here out of the so-called "goodness" of his heart.

Well, if he had one.

"What do you want, Szayel?" Grimmjow asked curtly, his voice sharp with distrust.

"I just thought that it would be rather inconvenient for you if our Tousen-sama found you fraternizing with the enemy," the octova espada reasoned nonchalantly as he fiddled with a blood-stained rock. Cold cobalt eyes scrutinized the other arrancar's caramel eyes, searching for any signs of an ulterior motive. "You know how he is with his idiotic ideals of "justice" and other rot." Impartial fingers let the rock fall, forgotten.

"What's in it for you?"

"Again, Grimmjow, you wound me with your lack of trust in me," Szayel remarked with an overdramatic expression of hurt. "Surely you can have some confidence in the brother of your late lackey?" The sexta espada merely narrowed his icy eyes. "Fine, fine… Don't trust me then. All I really wanted to do was just to help you out, Grimmjow."

"In exchange for what?"

"Does it seem like I only do things that will benefit me?"

"Yes," bluntly replied the sexta espada.

"Grimmjow, you hurt me!"

"Get to the point or I will fucking cero your lily-white ass," Grimmjow threatened as he raised his left arm from the ground, pointing his palm at Szayel's face. Scarlet light began to gather at the center. The lithe espada rose to his feet.

"There is nothing I want from you, Sexta. I just merely desired to bring you back in one piece before Aizen's little bitch suspects you of the preposterous and sends poor Ulquiorra or himself to bring you back." The ball of crimson light dissipated as Grimmjow closed his hand into a clenched fist.

Tousen wasn't exactly his favorite person in Hueco Mundo.

"My healing abilities may not be up to par with that human woman, but I can definitely boast that it is superior to that of those other arrancar."

The teal-haired espada considered his choices. Making it seem like he was starting an all out rebellion against Aizen or his blind bitch, Tousen, wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do, especially in his currently weakened state. That and there was also the renegade captain's immense power to consider. He may not like Aizen or his underhanded methods, but the former shinigami still had his uses.

However, he hated debts and he already owed Szayel. Another debt to the slender scientist wasn't exactly what he desired to incur, but his chances of making it back to Hueco Mundo alone and undetected in his terribly weakened state were very slim.

_I guess I have no choice but to pick the lesser of the two evils._

"Fine, then," Grimmjow reluctantly agreed. "Let's go."

"As you wish, your highness," Szayel replied mockingly, bowing as the garganta opened up.

"Fuck you, Szayel," Grimmjow spat out as he struggled to his feet. Szayel held out a hand to the sexta, who immediately swatted it away and defiantly entered through the mouth of darkness without the other arrancar's aid. Complacently the eighth espada followed with a sinister smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Death of Innocence: Battle Between Kings

Written by étoilefilante07

Pairings: So far? Just GrimmxIchi

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, sexual situations between males, violence, and possibly more that will be noted as this fanfic grows on. Also MAJOR SPOILER if you haven't read the manga thus far. Fo'seriously. Don't say I didn't warn you.

A/N: All of Bleach is (c) to Kubo Tite sensei! I am most definitely grateful to everyone who reviewed and/or placed this humble fanfic of mine in their favorites list or their alerts! I am also very sorry that I haven't updated in a while! I hope you guys like it! And please don't forget to review!

Chapter 10

A body clad in black sailed through the air, and landed with a sickening thud against the base of a rock pillar. Clouds of copper dust hid the body as the masked blonde girl sneered angrily. She raised her mask to uncover her youthful face and spat contemptuously upon the ground.

"You've been half-assing it all day! Fucking come at me like you give a shit!"

Unfocused chocolate eyes stared wearily at the false sky as Ichigo remained prone on the ground. The white mask began to crack and finally disintegrated into dust. The copper clouds cleared, revealing to Hiyori an unmoving Ichigo.

A vein throbbed on her forehead, revealing her evident irritation at the lack of the substitute shinigami's resolve. "OI! Are you even listening to me?!" The blond Vaizard began to shake her small fist at the orange-haired youth. "OOOI!! GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASS OR I'LL REALLY FUCKING KILL YOU!!" Hearing silence instead of any sort of reply, what little patience and tough love that the short girl had for Ichigo had died a thousand gruesome deaths and immediately burned in hell.

"Alright then," she murmured with a murderous glint in her eyes. "You good-for-nothing piece of shit," Hiyori snarled underneath the white mask as she flicked her wrist, readying her zanpakutou.

"PREPARE TO DIE, DICKHEAD!"

A strong hand on her shoulder stopped her in mid step. Angrily she whirled around, shaking off the hand and glared at the unfortunate soul who had the folly to attempt to stop her. Her golden eyes widened, seeing a somber Shinji.

"Wait," the other blond Vaizard commanded softly but sternly. "Let me take care of this."

Reluctantly Hiyori nodded before huffing indignantly. The white mask disappeared as quickly as it had appeared before the masked shinigami's training sessions had begun. A constant scowl marred her cute face while she sat nearby a manga-reading Aigawa Love and a complacent Rose.

She kept her eye on the orange-haired youth and on the former captain of the fifth protection squad, ready to intervene if Shinji fucked things up. Hiyori was infamous for her short temper and equally little patience; hell would freeze over before she could tolerate any emotional bullshit for long.

The mask had broken away into white and scarlet dust. Ichigo lay on the ground, Zangetsu in hand, oblivious to the presence of the approaching Vaizard. Chocolate eyes lost their somber gaze in the azure pseudo-sky, lost in thought.

A solid grope in a particularly sensitive spot in between his legs immediately brought Ichigo out of the self-induced funk.

The youth leaped to his feet, shaking a vengeful fist at the unofficial leader of the Vaizard. With a scarlet face, Ichigo wasted no time bitching out the former shinigami. Shinji's currently deadpan expression didn't help the orange-haired teen's temper.

"OI!! What the fuck are you doing, Hirako?!"

"I think it's more like 'what the fuck are _you_ doing, Ichigo?'" Shiniji replied calmly, his arms crossed. "Like Hiyori said, you've been half-assing things today--did something happen?"

The blond Vaizard already knew what had happened the previous night. It was obvious with all the reiatsu that had been released by both Ichigo and the teal-haired arrancar who seemed rather obsessed with the substitute shinigami. However, getting the teenager to speak of his own volition would speed up his progress.

Chocolate eyes darkened and grew somber as a burning lump rose in Ichigo's throat. Stubbornly he willed it away, only causing the reluctant suffocation to resist and persist, much to the teen's chagrin.

_He was just the enemy…_my_ enemy… Why the hell am I getting all worked up like this?_

Immediately the chocolate orbs brightened as Ichigo flashed a not-impressed Shinji a dazzling grin.

"It's nothing… It's just I had a fight with a friend yesterday," the youth lied blatantly, continuing that dazzling smile. "But it's all good now—"

"Ichigo," Shinji started before being forcefully knocked down by a rabid sandal. Almost immediately after the Vaizard fell, the very same sandal smacked Ichigo in the face, jerking the rest of his body to the right.

"Dickheads, the both of you," Hiyori growled menacingly, still brandishing her sandal though her blade was now sheathed. A disgruntled Shinji quickly jerked up to retaliate, holding his left hand to his profusely bleeding nose. The shorter blond turned her gaze from Ichigo to Shinji, the potent glare of death gleaming from her bloodthirsty eyes. The former captain did not hesitate to acquiesce to her glare, laughing uneasily as he scampered away, somewhere where he wouldn't be in the horrible rape radius of the rabid sandal.

"What the hell was that for?!" yelled an agitated Ichigo, brandishing a fist at the girl. The poor boy never saw the next blow coming. Another slap from the sandal landed soundly on the other side of his face. Traces of the outline of the sole of the sandal left their loving marks on the teen's face.

"You're a fucking idiot, dickhead," she whispered scathingly as she gripped her sandal tightly, her lithe form shaking. Ichigo stood silent, surprised by Hiyori's unusually somber air.

"H-Hiyori--"

"Just shut up and listen, dickhead," she interrupted gruffly, pointing the sandal in the orange-haired shinigami's direction. "So what if ya killed him? So what if ya liked him? So what if ya feel guilty about it? Ya just can't stand around like a fucking zombie just because of that! What about the rest of your friends who are alive and kickin'? Are ya just going to forget all about them and mope around until Aizen comes parading in with that fucking smug look on his face?"

For once, the orange-haired teen broke his eyes free from the short Vaizard's intense gaze, staring at the ground. Tendrils of realized shame twisted into his gut, creating a faint urge to vomit and to crumple at his feet.

_She's right… I've got to keep on going forward… getting stronger. For Inoue's sake--for everyone's sake… _

"I-I'm sorry," murmured Ichigo softly, his head still bowed.

"Just saying sorry ain't gonna make things right, dickhead," Hiyori yelled with a maniacal grin, her hand devoid of the sandal and in front of her face, ready to summon her hollow mask. The taller Vaizard looked up, taken aback by her brutal reply. Swiftly she unsheathed her sword from her back, pointing the blade at Ichigo.

_For everyone's sake…_

"Now come at me like ya fucking mean it!"

Ichigo's lips curved into a bittersweet smile as he brought his own hand to his face to summon his own mask. Shinji observed from afar as both Hiyori and Ichigo regenerated their masks quickly.

… _I've got to forget about Grimmjow…_

The unofficial leader of the Vaizards continued to watch as the high schooler launched himself at the shorter Vaizard with renewed resolve.

"You really do love him, don't you," started Shinji softly. A black blade slammed down towards the shorter girl's head, only to be blocked by her zanpakutou. Golden irises burned into each other as they continued to exchange blows.

"…what have you gotten yourself into, Hiyori?"


End file.
